RTKL was honoured at the 17th annual International Property Awards, receiving a commendation for Baraya, a mixed-use development in Qatar, and a five-star award for Sandton City, a mixed-use project in Johannesburg, South Africa that could also become home to Africa’s tallest tower.

The awards gala was part of the Property Awards Business Summit held at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai in association with Google and Bloomberg Television.

Scheduled to open at the end of 2014, Baraya was designed by RTKL and developed by Barwa Al-Doha and aims to set a new standard for Qatar’s approach to sustainable development. The project will provide 330,000 square metres of retail, hospitality, and entertainment that will create a more pedestrian-friendly, sustainable area in the old city of Doha.

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RTKL’s design team used the latest in advanced 3D technologies and digital fabrication to create complex geometries based on traditional Arabic patterns, incorporating them into Baraya’s interior and exterior design elements.

“We are honoured to be part of Qatar’s ambitious expansion plans and Baraya is an example of the type of thoughtful, mixed-use design that will continue to propel the country in the right direction,” said Jorge Beroiz, director, RTKL.

“Baraya mixed-use development is conceived for creating value beyond the ordinary, heralding a radical change in the retail and hospitality horizon of Qatar. The vision of creating this iconic development at the heart of the city of Doha will be seen as a game changing event in the years to come,” said Ali Mohammed Al Derbasti, CEO of Barwa Al Doha.

Sandton City, which recently opened its RTKL-designed renovated and expanded retail space, is a comprehensive mixed-use development. The six-phase redevelopment program, driven by Liberty Life Properties, adds 14,000 square metres of new retail space, world-class office buildings, residential space, and One Liberty Tower, which will be the tallest building in Africa and South Africa’s first ecological tall building.

An innovative amenity deck provides public space beneath a Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) veil that connects to the other buildings in the project. Once complete, Sandton City will cover 310,000 square metres.

“RTKL has always been known for successful, innovative mixed-use projects because our designs are based on how people want to live,” said Paul Dunn, director, RTKL. “All the components of Sandton City work together to create a ground-breaking destination and a community asset that will benefit Johannesburg and the rest of South Africa.”